Ayon sa ahensya, layon nitong matiyak na sapat ang bilang ng immigration officers na naka-duty para matutukan ang mga bibiyahe sa Christmas holiday season.
Sinabi ni BI Commissioner Jaime Morente na epektibo ang ban sa pag-file ng vacation leave ng BI port personnel simula sa December 1, 2020 hanggang January 15, 2021.
“We have to make sure that our immigration booths at the airports are adequately manned in anticipation of an increase in the number of international travelers who will enter and exit the country during that period,” pahayag ni Morente.
Gayunman, dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic, kaunti lamang aniya ang inaasahang bibiyahe paalis at papunta ng bansa.
Marami pa kasi aniyang bansa sa buong mundo, kabilang ang Pilipinas, ang hindi pa nag-aalis ng travel restrictions simula nang ipatupad noong Marso.
“Thus, we are confident that the number of immigration officers currently deployed at the ports are enough to facilitate the efficient conduct of immigration formalities for arriving and departing passengers,” dagdag pa ni Morente.
Samantala, sinabi naman ni Atty. Candy Tan, hepe ng BI port operations division, sakop ng leave prohibition ang lahat ng immigration personnel sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at maging sa mga paliparan sa Mactan Cebu at Clark, Pampanga, Kalibo, Iloilo, Davao, Laoag at Zamboanga international seaport.